Forgiving Forgotten Memories
by Kiac
Summary: Kagome, innocently sweet and kind, has a dark past which revolves around the cold-hearted Western Lord, a past she has no memory of, but one that Sesshoumaru remembers all too clearly. Can he accept that this young woman is actually his childhood friend?
1. Memories of the Waning Crescent

A young Sesshoumaru clutched possessively at the too-big-pile-of-fur thrown over his shoulder for convenience, as he stared down at the young female playing "peek-a-boo" with the end he could not take from her. She was on her knees now, holding the fur just over her head, a giant playful grin plastered upon her lips. It wasn't unusual to see her so happy, nor was it a surprise to see her expensive pink kimono laid intricately with flowers and hearts, practically torn and covered in mud. Her dark locks were pulled into loose pigtails, tied at the nape of her throat. Her hair now reached just past her shoulder blades and Sesshoumaru could not help the self-conscious glance he threw quickly to his own shoulder length silver hair. A happy giggle snapped his attention back to the girl again. She'd released his fur and now and had both hands covering her lips. "What do you find so endearingly hilarious, Girl?" He tried not to snap the words out, but gruff they came without fail, and he instinctively ducked none too soon as the striped claws of his father swiped at the air where he'd been standing before.

"Apologize." Came the barked order. "Now." His father was always striking him for insulting the girl, he didn't know why, it always seemed to make her giggle even more that he treated her like any other, bland, ordinary, annoying girl; but of course it was politically insulting of her father and his own. In a way, he _did_ know why his father always struck him, but out of the public eye he didn't understand why it would matter if he addressed her "Princess" or "Girl", his father would reply with a same, simple, annoying, unexplained statement of; "bad habits are hard to break" whenever he inquired.

Today the punishment was worse, the day of the waning crescent moon; their fathers were hanging close and they were forbidden to leave the hidden garden in the center of the western region fortress, thus stuck under their fathers' noses. Normally they were allowed farther away and in more places of the palace; out of earshot but not sight, or out of sight but not earshot. Her father was annoyingly overprotective of her that way. When she left the lordling was all but ignored by his father, allowed to do anything or go anywhere he pleased so long as it did take him away from his studies or outside of the fortress grounds. "Sesshoumaru!" The angry bark drew back his attention to the girl, whose open grin had disappeared and she was staring worriedly at him, no, at his father. Worried the Western Lord would strike his son again, no doubt. Dutifully - and to put that grin back on her face - the young prince braced his fists upon his hips and bowed deeply at his waist. "Forgive my imprudence, Princess." He held the position, staring at his shoes until frail hands pushed uselessly against his shoulders, trying to force him upright again. He allowed her to push him and stood before the girl now standing directly in front of him. She was shorter than him by at least a head, and his father had told him he would always be taller than her, but he was forbidden to look down upon her. At the time, he hadn't understood what his father meant, how could he look at her but not look _down_ at her when she was _shorter_ than him? Just another annoyance, an annoyance that forced him to keep his eyes level, staring out over her head. He thought this was far more insulting than addressing her by her gender, but it seemed to please his father, and he could sense the two taiyoukai stalking back to their post at the single door that led out of the closed-in garden that no servant was allowed to enter. Overhead, the sky was beginning to darken and he knew their confined play would be ending soon, it always came to an abrupt end when the sun set, especially on the day of the waning crescent. He glanced down quickly without changing his position and his eyes locked with her coffee brown ones for only a second before the brown faded, giving way to unnaturally bright aquatic blue. He was riveted on those strange blue eyes enough to not notice the rest of her Shift. Her night black hair turned a glistening silver that looked gray in comparison to his own ghost white hair, and her human ears disappeared completely, being replaced with silver gray pointed dog ears atop her skull. _Half-breed._ The word ripped through his thoughts shattering everything else. Her father's blood was politically stronger than his own and thus he was supposed to her lesser, but the human blood that flowed through her veins made his instincts flare, made his instincts want to put her in her place - beneath him. As a half-demon, she was beneath him. Despite her human mother, though, she was indeed his very best friend and he could not restrain the careful smile that pulled at the edge of his lips. It confused him so much that this one little girl could cause such a giant rift between his demonic instincts and his thoughts that she wasn't anything more or less than a fellow child of the moon. Attentively, the newly shifted half-demon carefully raised her hands as if to cup his chin, but paused in her movement several inches away, keeping a careful distance between her skin and his. She had not asked to touch his markings, as was customary, but he did not mind, somewhere deep in his being, he _craved_ those fingers to stroke against his markings. "Such sad, frozen amber." She murmured and he was struck again with the reminder that she rarely spoke, but when she did, her sweet, luscious, addictive voice filled his ears and he wanted nothing more than to keep her talking. Before he could say something to keep her talking though, her father swept in, snatched away her fingers and was all but dragging her out of the garden. He never understood the taiyoukai's need to pull her away when he shoved her at him early in the morning. He blinked a few times and turned towards his father who was staring back at him with deep bronze colored eyes. "Why does he-?" He began but his father interrupted with a shake of her head, "You're too young to understand his worry, Sesshoumaru." Was all he responded with before turning and walking out of the garden. The young prince ran to keep up, but his father was already disappearing into another room. He tip-toed nearer, curious to know what his father would tell his mother. "She's a flighty little thing, she is." His father's gruff thrum-of-a-voice echoed out to him.

"Do you expect anything less, she's a _half-breed._ I simply do not understand my son's fascination for such disgusting beasts." His mother's honey-sweet voice clicked coldly in response to her mate's statement. It rattled in his head and sent chills down his spine, even when she was most enthusiastic, his mother's voice dripped with cold hatred. "I still disagree with this union." She hissed now, receiving a scoff from his father, "You only disagree because she's not a Pureblood. She's the last descendant of the Clan of the Silver Dog; you should be pleased that her father agreed to a union at all." He surmised, and silence befell the room. Sesshoumaru waited a few seconds before assuming his father had taken his leave through another door, or his mother had.

The young lord began to suspect something was amiss when the Princess did not return for almost an entire month, and then, she did not arrive like usual for the waning crescent day… But he was certain something had gone awry when, on the eve of the waxing crescent, the palace burst into an up-roar. A messenger had arrived, requesting to speak to his father and no one else. He didn't know of the message relayed only that the messenger died right there at his father's feet within his study and the Western Lord was frantic. It took several days for the commotion to even slightly die down. More than a month had past since the princess's departure and so, carefully, on the evening of the first quarter moon, Sesshoumaru slipped into his father's study, careful to make sure he was not interrupting anything. His father stood behind a big oak desk, which was currently buried under a mass of scrolls. His father was turned, half away from the desk, another scroll open in his hands. "Father?" He inquired softly, drawing the attention of those intense bronze colored eyes. Instantly, he regretted pulling those eyes towards him, he began to fidget uncomfortably.

"Well? Speak, Boy." His father snapped, but did not wait for Sesshoumaru to talk as he turned back to the scroll at hand.

"Well… I was wondering when… When the princess would be returning…?" Sesshoumaru muttered, looking down at shoes. There was a fluttered of movement in his peripheral vision, a soft clatter as a scroll hit the ground, and then… Then he was being smothered. He was being embraced so tightly by his father he thought for a moment he'd made a terrible mistake bringing up the Northern Princess, until he felt a soft tremor course through his father. His father was… Trembling? All of a sudden he wanted to pull away, he wanted to run away, he didn't want to hear what his father was saying. "No… No. No!" He cried, shaking his head vigorously. But his father spoke anyways, despite his cries. "The Princess will not be returning; the Northern Fortress has fallen. The Northern Lord could not stand, the princess has been lost. The Silver bloodline is gone." He spoke the last part like it mattered the most, but all Sesshoumaru could think about was those frail little hands reaching for his face, and her soft murmur commenting on the frosty glaze to his yellow-amber eyes.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open as a cold drop of water dripped from a still-wet leaf, the drop splashing icily against the purple-blue waning crescent mark formed in the precise center of his forehead. A constant reminder that he had not been strong enough to save the one who meant more than the world to him so many years ago. Frozen amber eyes slid over to his charges, Rin was asleep, tucked curtly against the hard but reassuring bulk of A-un, the ever-present annoyance of Jaken was, as to be expected, asleep as well. Seeing that no one was around to take notice of his reaction, the taiyouki narrowed his usually expressionless eyes to barely visible slits and let a quiet growl reverberate against his throat. The two-headed dragon was the only one aware of his current state, he watched as one head rose and the other merely eyed him wearily. "I was thinking about that time." He commented, quietly, so not to disturb his slumbering charges. Glancing up to the lightening sky, he caught the barest glimpse of the moon, "The day of the waning crescent." He sighed, his fingers unconsciously reaching up to touch his own marking. It was her day, her favorite day of the month, unlike most half-demons, she'd been happy and even excited to share her time of weakness with him. It had been the same, very month, the very same thing. Ever since his father had told him what became of the Northern Fortress, on the eve of the waning crescent, the same memories would flash forward into the forefront of his thoughts, refusing to let him forget that he hadn't been strong enough. That the last words spoken between them were her commentary on the coldness in his amber eyes, and for a second he was glad she could not see him now, see the utter lifelessness in those eyes once coated only with a cold sheen.

_A/N:  
This chapter was written while listening to the following tracks__  
- "Second Chance" by Shinedown  
- "Say Anything" by Good Charlotte  
- "Lucy" by Skillet  
I do not, nor do I claim, to own any of the characters from the InuYasha series, and give full rights to it's rightful owners. Nor do I claim ownership of the songs listened to while writing this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hope that you return to finish the story with me.  
_


	2. Confusion

_A/N: It has recently been brought to my attention, the differences between the Romanization between two common Japanese terms; Taiyoukai and Daiyoukai. I've discovered that the Romanization "taiyoukai" is incorrect in all ways, and thus will be using the Romanization "daiyoukai" throughout the rest of this story, and apologize to anyone this improper terminology may have insulted. It has been farther brought to my attention that "daiyoukai" is a Japanese term meaning "large, great demon" or more commonly "demon lord", due to unknowing what this meant, I have been incorrectly using Japanese terms in an English tale, and will attempt to be using only English from now on, though likely I will mistakenly type "daiyoukai" or "taiyoukai" a few times. Again, I apologize for this improper use. Anyways, I know you're all very eager to read the next chapter and so here you go, enjoy._

The suffocating blackness seemed only to gain mass as it inched toward the young priestess, grappling at the hem of her red and white ensemble. Frightened, she whacked at it with the bow that was suddenly in her hands, but the inky black only used it as leverage to pull itself closer to her. "_Ewwww!_" She cried, swatting at it with more enthusiasm, "Getoffgetoffgetoff!" She cried, when all of a sudden a brilliant ray of light sliced through the blackness. She hurried towards it, surprised that the darkness grappling at the lower half of her ensemble didn't give her any trouble as she easily stepped through it and was soon jogging for the ray of light. A flash of red made her heart race, _InuYasha! InuYasha came to save me!_ She thought, excitedly, before reality crashed down, crushing all hope and her step faltered. InuYasha was with his very pregnant wife, he wasn't going to be running after her anymore. She'd come to a complete stop outside the shine of light, now, and jumped when the image of a child appeared. The only thing her mind would comprehend the gray haired little girl as, was something her mind summoned up for InuYasha and Kikyo's unborn daughter. But something just did not add up, the pointed dog-eared little girl before her looked nothing like her half-demon companion or like Kikyo. She knew nothing about demon genetics and thus was unsure it was possible for the white haired half-demon to produce a gray-haired child. The little girl gave her a wide grin; her eyes were closed, and waved enthusiastically towards her. Suddenly, the light blinked out and came back on a moment later, the happiness gone from the child's features, filled instead with fear. She was reaching out for the priestess, but the priestess did not notice, her eyes were locked with the child's wide, frightened, unnaturally bright, unnaturally aquatic-colored eyes. Finally the priestess realized the child was beginning to fade, and dashed forward to grab at her before she disappeared completely.

Kagome sat bolt upright, gasping for breath, before she caught her breath and took in her surroundings. She was inside Kaede's hut, one of the largest huts in the village; it had become her place of residence after the jewel had been completed. She shared the hut with the elderly priestess and a young girl in the village whom Kaede was training to replace her. Kagome had insisted that the old woman take on a proper apprentice since she wasn't exactly sure of her place in the village anymore. Haruka was a sweet, enthusiastic little girl, though she was easily disappointed and had difficulty paying attention to some of the more boring lessons in her study. In the dim light of the little hut, she could see that both Kaede and Haruka were still sound asleep, and so she ran through the events of her very odd dream while she waited for them to awaken. She couldn't make any sense of the events though, who was the gray haired little girl? She felt like she ought to know her from somewhere, but could not place her in her memories. Where had the original flash of red come from? The red she'd thought was InuYasha. How was it all related to that grappling blackness of the beginning of her dream? What had scared the little girl? Shaking her head, she got up, unable to sit still any longer. She quickly donned her priestess clothing, picked up the intricately woven basket at the hut entrance, pushed aside the straw curtain and started out towards the forest for some early herb gathering. Aside from some farmers, not many people were awake, and those that were dipped their heads in respect before returning to their work as she past. She lengthened her path in order to avoid one hut in particular, but she barely even noticed the lengthened path anymore, having become so accustomed to the longer trail. Head partially bowed against the chilly morning breeze, she hurried across the brief open field before disappearing into forest. Pausing to cast one last sorrowful glance back at the village, she had to remind herself that she ought to go _home_, back to the time she had been born into and not return. She didn't belong here, once upon a time, her place was at InuYasha's side, but not any longer, that space was occupied by his wife. Still, she couldn't shed the feeling that she _should_ belong here. _Do I have another part to play?_ She thought as she turned back to the forest, of course she didn't have another part to play. She'd proven that when she'd insisted that Kaede take Haruka on as an apprentice, hadn't she?

With a quick shake of her head, the young woman cast her gaze off to the sides of the little trail, worn down from four years of constant use, four years of running from the village to the well and back again. It didn't take very long for her to realize she was no longer on the familiar trail, her head snapped up in attempt to recognize something in her surrounding to point her in the right direction to get back. "Maybe… I should have told someone I was out here…" She muttered, when she didn't recognize anything around her. She was in a bog-like setting now, wondering where it had come from. In four years, she'd never known there was even a bog around these parts. That, in itself, should have been more than enough to set put her on edge, but the priestess merely shrugged, spun on her heel, and started back the way she'd come. Or at least she meant to, until she smacked into a tree. "Owe. Okay, that hurt." She grumbled, reaching up to rub at her forehead when the tree quivered and an ominous cackle told her the tree wasn't a tree at all. _Oh perfect! Just what I need!_ She growled inwardly. Demons just didn't scare her the way they used to, maybe it was because she'd just become accustomed to challenges but since the defeat of Naraku, no demon came close to his former caliber. "Excuse me." She stated, pushing past the demon that moved willingly enough, likely too confused to resist.

"Hey! Aren't you scared of me?" The demon she refused to acknowledge barked, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around to face him. Kagome blinked as she finally took in the demon's appearance, he'd taken on the formation of a human-like creature, so he was one of the higher class demons. "Not really, no." She responded, jerking her hand free of his light grip, and trotting off again. She could hear his baffled gurgles behind her and had to bite back a laugh, it wasn't often she got the chance to baffle a demon so easily.

"Well… You still shouldn't walk around here by yourself." The demon added after regaining his composure, falling in step beside Kagome. "It's dangerous, you know?" He commented, dropping his arm around her slim shoulders.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I can find my way back just fine." Kagome groaned, shrugging out from under his heavy arm.

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be wandering the forest all alone, at least let me guide you back to the forest edge." He persisted.

"I said, I'm capable of making my way back just fine-" Kagome started to argue when another voice cut off whatever she was about to say.

"The priestess is not alone. Release her." She knew _that_ voice a little too well, and it wasn't one she was comfortable with hearing without her – Kikyo's – half-demon protector. "…Sesshoumaru…" She muttered, as soon as the name escaped her lips, the annoying persistent demon took a giant leap away from her. _Ookkaayy…? Now I'm confused._ She silently commented, but before she could voice any thoughts, the demon lord barked an order that left no room for disobedience; "Come."

"You better go with him, Lord Sesshoumaru isn't known for his patience." The still nameless demon commented, when he noted Kagome's hesitance. Confused, she could only nod meekly and step towards the clearly dominate demon.

_E/N: This chapter was going to be longer, but thinking about how I'm going to write the next chapter, this makes for a good stopping point. The strange, random demon staring in this chapter might become a dominate character later on in the tale, but for now, he's just a filler character. Sorry for how short and fairly blunt it is, I had a difficult time writing this chapter having rewrote it at least a dozen times and still it is not fully satisfactory.  
_


	3. Untainted and Left Behind

Following the western lord out of the swamp proved to be much a more difficult task than Kagome had first anticipated. Every time she quickened her pace to walk at his side, his stride lengthened, keeping the carefully maintained distance between them. It felt like a game, a game he was cheating at and it pissed her off. "What the Hell?" She finally demanded, pulling to an abrupt stop, "Could you, at the very least, explain what the Hell that was, back there?"

"You have spent too many days with my insolent little brother. Profanity does not suit you, Priestess, keep up."

"Not until you tell me what that was all about."

"Stubborn woman." Sesshoumaru almost snarled in irritation, whirling around to face the priestess, striding uncomfortably close to her. He lowered his head to her level and replied, very simply, "He was trying to claim you."

"Wha- Why?" She stammered, stunned by the suddenly closed distance between them, unable to really comprehend what he said.

"My brother's scent has waned and you have no fear of demons. Many will try to take advantage of that. He was trying to cover you in his scent." The lord responded, mistakenly thinking she was continuing to question him about that worthless, lower class demon instead of questioning him about why he suddenly and so abruptly destroyed the careful distance he had set between them. When she made no attempt to move, he was suddenly struck with the realization of why his brother was always grabbing this woman. She had no sense of obedience. Just this once, he would have to take a lesson from InuYasha, and so he bent his knees, lowering himself closer to the ground, watching the confusion rising in the priestess's already bewildered features. He moved one arm behind her, though she seemed not to notice until he knocked her legs out from under her with his other arm. He cradled her there, in his arms, for but a moment, gaining a quick sense of balance with her added weight, before straightening and continuing on his way.

"You don't usually come this far east." Kagome pointed out, when the western lord glanced down at her, her face was lit red but her face was a twisted mix of emotion. Fury, embarrassment, and wonderment, so she did not approve of men taking this liberty with her, an interesting fact since she wasn't struggling against him or demanding he put her down. "I did not think you minded." He commented, completely ignoring her sentiment, "since you are now avoiding my brother, you – whom is prone to attracting danger – has no guardian." He felt her go rigid in his arms and listened to her incoherent stammering for a moment before pointing out, "I believe that is what you would call a "joke", Priestess. I would never lower myself to acting as your guard dog."

"…Right…" She muttered, he could not help but hear the dejection in her voice. So she _wanted_ a guard dog, and she seemed to want _him_ to be that pet. Not likely. Quickly, the lord banished the thought and instead replied to her former comment about his traveling. They were nearing the village now and she would soon figure it out anyways. "I am needed in the north, I cannot take my charges. I was under the impression that you would watch over them in my absence." He commented; making sure she understood he wanted her to watch them, but he also wasn't giving her a choice in the matter. To his astonishment, she didn't reject him; "Sure! I love it when you let Rin stay with us."

"It will not just be Rin, as I said, I cannot take my charges."

"Wait… You mean…?"

"Jaken and A-un will be staying as well."

"You're going to leave a two-headed dragon demon in our midst with a human hated imp? If that doesn't spell hazard, suicide, or complete failure, I have no idea what will."

"You will accept Rin, but not my other charges?" He responded, confused by her statement.

"Now, I never said that. I just said it's a bad idea."

"You accept to these terms?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Good." Sesshoumaru replied, kneeling again and setting the priestess on her feet, they were just inside the forest now, in the distance he could see a splash of red pressing against the bulk of his still-growing two-headed dragon. "InuYasha is struggling with A-un." He explained to Kagome before she could ask, "I will leave you here."

"But… Don't you want to say goodbye to Rin? How long are you going to be away?"

"It is easier this way and I am not sure how long I will be." And with that the lord left before she could ask anymore pointless questions that would delay him longer. He stopped just out of her sight, making sure she went back to the village instead of attempting to follow him. He was pleased when she stepped out of forest, but displeased when she hugged the treeline, weaving in and out of trunks before moving steadily towards the village center. Avoiding the dragon, and the half-demon trying to stop it from stampeding the village, this fact he could not miss. With a sickening twist in his gut, he realized his accusation of her avoiding his brother was dead on. What had the obnoxiously dressed half-demon done to have driven the untainted priestess to these extremes? He'd never known her to avoid his brother, in fact, he'd come to expect the very opposite. Even if it endangered her life, she stayed at his brother's side. He would have to interrogate Jaken upon his return, and question Rin to see if either of them had found something out. He was determined to find out why the usually inseparable pair, were suddenly very emotionally separated. What had caused this rift?

Before he could become completely focused on this new puzzlement, the western lord forced himself to turn away from the village. His charges were in good hands, and he now had something to look forward to upon his return. Of course he had no intention of trying to fix what had already been broken, but if it meant a new way to make his younger brother's life a living Hell, he was very eager indeed, though he was hesitant to use the forlorn priestess.


	4. Possiblities

The trek north was much more demanding than the western lord was accustomed to, with each step he took, he wanted to turn back. He was much too preoccupied with what had happened between his younger brother and his all-too-perky priestess companion. This sudden shift in their relationship was intriguing enough for him to want to ignore his instincts, which rarely caused a rift between what he thought he ought to do and what he wanted to do. Today, his instincts were leading him north, to the northern palace ruins to be precise. Even if he wasn't being led there in particular, he would have followed his senses, they rarely flared and when they did it was usually something severe. Of course, they had been wrong before, like when he had first accepted Jaken's company; the imp was useful for wielding the two-headed staff but little else and the western lord could easily find another. He had little doubt that with a little practice his brother's priestess could probably use it. The thought brought a slow, pleasant smile to his lips as he tried to imagine the priestess wielding a demon weapon, any demon weapon and actually succeeding at doing so. It took him a moment to finally comprehend that he'd come to a complete stop, half turned back in the direction he'd come. Why was he so suddenly drawn to that particular priestess? With an annoyed growl, he whirled and continued on his way north. He already had a betrothed, he had no business scenting after another woman. Especially one that had been born for the sole purpose of obliterating his race. Shaking his head, he attempted to concentrate fully on his task trying to drown out any other thoughts.

By nightfall Sesshoumaru had reached his destination, just ahead of him stood the solid remains of a once very grand palace. Staring at the crumbling walls and cracked stone, he began to steadily pick his way into the ruin's interior. Progressing slowly, he let his gaze fall upon every crack, every fallen wall, and every scorch mark that charred the once vibrant building. The moon was rising ever higher into the night sky, as the western lord gingerly brushed aside the crumbling remains of a once heavy - and elegantly carved - wooden door. He knew this room well, the throne room, stalking forward he slumped into the oddly unscathed throne atop the slightly upraised platform at the end of the long hall. Everything was ruined, but the throne seemed completely untouched, withered only by age and misuse. Resting his elbow on the arm, Sesshoumaru buried his face in his hand, as the memories flared to life.

"Strange isn't it?" A new voice interrupted before he could delve too deep into memory. Instantly the western lord's head snapped upright, yellow amber eyes narrowing, focusing swiftly on the intruder. "Tarou." He hissed, beginning to rise. He didn't want to fight here, it was a burial ground, and it was simply disrespectful. The dragon demon was toying with a fallen beam, tapping at it with an elongated claw, making swallow gauge marks into the ancient wood.

"Oh, there's no need for that. I won't fight you. Lord Sesshoumaru." He commented, refusing to meet the western lord's gaze, but somehow knowing the lord's hand was wrapped around the hilt of his sword.

"And if I do not believe your intentions?"

"I wouldn't blame you. If it is my blood you seek, you shall have it without incident, mi'lord."

"You would forfeit your life without a fight, for what purpose?"

"To make up for my father's betrayal, of course. If that cause calls for my life, then let it be taken. My life is yours to take, my lord." He stated, finally turning towards the western lord, placing a purple-gray diamond-hard, scaled hand over his clothed heart, bowing deeply at the waist.

"I do not want your life. Though I am intrigued to know what a demon of your status is doing in the remains of demon lord fortress."

"Did my lord not hear tale? The northern fortress is being rebuilt. On commission of the dog Council." This information surprised Sesshoumaru, what was the Council doing commissioning the rebuild of the northern palace? Did they intend to promote one of the lesser clans? He would not stand for this outrage! "Why?" He demanded simply.

"My lord has truthfully not heard? There is rumor that the silver blood is returned."

"That is impossible, these rumors are false. The silver bloodline is _gone_." Sesshoumaru snapped, outraged by this information. Who would dare tease him with this knowledge? He would find the source of these rumors and destroy it, these rumors would cease. "Where did you receive your information?" He demanded to know.

"When I first heard rumor, I went to investigate myself. They are somewhat truthful." The demon responded, seeming to shy away, as if in embarrassment.

"How can they "somewhat truthful"?"

"It's a young priestess, a human, but she bares the remarkable resemblance." Tarou explained, lowering his head in shame to even admit this much. He knew, like so many others, that the silver blooded princess was once the lord's heart's desire.

"That is impossible." Sesshoumaru stated again, though it held less conviction, as if he simply could not bring himself to hope to believe. Despite his willful attempts, images flashed in his minds eye, comparing memory with reality. The resemblance _was_ remarkable, but it was just not possible. She fell with the northern fortress, the first of the dragon's betrayals.

"The Council has assembled to see for themselves." Tarou added, drawing Sesshoumaru attention again. He _had_ received notice of an assembly, but had decided not to go. Ever since the Council had refused to take action after the first raid, after the northern fortress fell, he had refused to acknowledge their existence. But this knowledge that they intended to seek out the woman he'd only so recently come to even acknowledge made his blood boil. Her image flared in his mind, the memory of a small clingy half-breed child giving way to the image of a formidable, less-than-respectful priestess woman. How could they possibly be one and the same? How could that half demon child also be the pure human priestess that once clung to his brother's side? "How? How could this be?" He hissed, no longer aware of his current company, the demon lord slumped back into the throne.

"I'm not sure, but if my lord would allow, I would like to accompany him to see this bewildering creature."

"And what makes you think I'm going to seek this priestess out?"

"My lord is curious, it is clear in his posture. He seeks this woman daring to look like his bride." Tarou explained, flipping back his short, inky black hair revealing obsidian black eyes, marred only by deep blue vertical stripes, stripes that labeled him as the traitor dragon's son. The son of the dragon lord that destroyed the alliance between the dragons the dog demons. Though tempted to drive away the son of the demon that had mortally wounded his father, Sesshoumaru bit back his hatred. This demon had done no wrong, and his father had paid the price of death for his betrayal. Tarou showed no sign of following in his father's footsteps; he seemed only intent on redeeming the name of all dragon demons. Dipping his head in acknowledgement, the lord rose again, "That is acceptable." He commented, turning to take his leave, was this why is instincts had brought him here? To give him a new companion? He refused to acknowledge to the thought and only continued to walk away. Tarou fell in step behind him, leaving a carefully respectful distance between them, he would not insult his higher ranked companion, of this Sesshoumaru was sure. "Her name is Kagome." He stated, suddenly.

"What?" Tarou yipped in response, taken aback by the lord's sudden light conversation.

"The priestess's name is Kagome, if you accompany me to see her, I will not permit you to call her "Priestess"." Sesshoumaru snapped, knowing full well that what he was saying applied to him as well. In the presence of another higher ranking demon, he could not permit himself to call her by the name he had been calling her for the past few years. It was time to acknowledge that he knew, always knew, the priestess was his long lost betrothed. It was time he resumed his role as her guardian, it was time he finished severing the broken bond between his brother and his intended.

_A/N: I beg pardon for the very late update, last week was quite hectic and I could not find much more than a few minutes to write, this week was only slightly less hectic on top of which I could not find the inspiration to write this chapter. Oh yes, and meet Tarou - son of Ryukotsusei, for those of you who could not figure out who the "traitor dragon" was - he will remain a prominent chapter throughout the rest of this tale. In the next chapter, our lord must make sure Kagome and the others remain oblivious to the fact that the dog Council is snooping around and make sure the Council does not stray closer than the outer reaches of the nearby forest, will he succeed in his task or will our favorite rambunctious priestess wander a little too far out of the lord's set boundary unknowingly? Look forward to chapter five; "the Dog Demon Council"._


	5. The Dog Demon Council

The young western lord stood stoic at the edge of the boundary he and Tarou had just finished setting, glowering out at the crimson setting sun. "No." He hissed in a low voice to an unspoken question.

"But, you don't even know what I was going to say!" Tarou challenged, though Sesshoumaru knew he didn't mean it as an actual challenge, just a light tease, he could not stop his upper lip curling back over his teeth in a silent snarl. "You were going to suggest that I stay here to meet the Council, and you go and hover over the woman."

"Okay… So you do know what I was going to say, but I wouldn't have stated it so blatantly, my lord."

"The answer is no."

"Well… What if _I_ stay here and you go protect the princess?" Tarou suggested.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied, his solid voice dripping with sarcasm, "let us leave the son of the man that tried to kill all of the demon lords and their heirs, to meet the survivors of said attack."

"Eh… Right… They want me dead, don't they?"

"Most definitely."

"But… Then why don't you?"

"Because I have lost faith in the Council and find I enjoy doing the very opposite of what they want."

"Oh… So…"

"No, I do not want your death."

"You don't?"

"No, you seem only intent on proving the loyalty of the surviving dragons, not to follow in your father's steps to the path of destruction. Your father has paid the price of death for his betrayal, but that is not enough for the Council. They wish to end his line."

"So… It's not just me, it's all of Ryukotsusei's offspring?"

"Not just his offspring, but his predecessors as well."

"His brothers?"

"His brothers, his sisters, his parents, and grandparents, nieces, nephews, and mates. All that are still alive and bare a relationship with the former dragon."

"Ouch. So when you said they wanted to end his line, you met it."

"Indeed."

"Well, I guess I've got my work cut out for me then don't I?"

"They're coming." Sesshoumaru cut in, his posture straightening and becoming rigid, his amber eyes narrowing into the distance.

"Kagome, would it be a bother for ye to fetch some more herbs?" Keade asked, glancing up at the young priestess, pacing in her hut, "ye be sure to take thy bow and quiver." She added as Kagome unquestioningly turned and reached for the woven basket at the doorway. Her hand hesitated over the basket momentarily before darting past the basket to wrap around the bow and quiver just beyond. Quickly, she swung the quiver over her shoulder to brace against her back, before following suit with the bow, the string cutting between her breasts. She snatched up the basket, turned to give the aging priestess a reassuring smile and quickly tried to escape. Before she could even make it into the doorway of the hut, she run into the broad, red-clack chest of the man she was so desperately trying to avoid.

"Oh, hey Kagome." InuYasha greeted, but she could not respond as she ducked under his arm and hurried out into the approaching night. The last thing she heard was InuYasha's voice as he had obviously turned to Keade. "Did I do something wrong? Where is she going in such a hurry? Hey, Keade do you think you could come see Kikyo, she's been complaining about cramps."

Kagome felt the familiar prick of unshed tears, at how quickly she'd been dismissed for Kikyo. How could she be so selfish? Kikyo was pregnant after all, of course InuYasha was more concerned about her, she was pregnant with his child, and the pregnancy was drawing to a close. That much was obvious. She quickly escaped the suffocating village just as the first tear fell. She'd meant to head straight for the tree line, but found herself stopped in the middle of the small stretch of meadow between the forest and village. "He doesn't love me, but I can't help not loving him." She whispered, her head dropping in dejection, before she was knocked face first into the soft grass. "Oof!" She exclaimed, before rolling over to find Sesshoumaru's twin-headed dragon staring down at her. Seeing the confusion lighting their small black eyes, she couldn't help but laugh, "Thank you. I needed that." The dragon seemed to purr at her praise, before gruffly starting to nuzzle at her. "Hey! Be careful guys, this quiver and bow are not comfortable to lay on, you know." She joked, swatting at the broad noses pushing against her stomach and chest. After a moment, the dragon finally allowed her to stand back up on her own two feet, and she was able to ask, "Where is Jaken and Rin?" She wondered aloud, watching as the slightly larger head of Un turned towards the village. "Already gone to bed, huh? Well, better not wake them then. Would you like to accompany me? Keade asked me to fetch some more herbs before nightfall." She explained dusting off the red and white ensemble she wore. A soft noise that she couldn't really describe pressed and vibrated against both dragon throats, as they excitedly circled around her leaving a distinct halo in the grass where she stood. "Okay, okay, let's go." She giggled as she patted at the dragon's bulk, before they both continued on into the forest.

Tarou began to fidget uncomfortably as the demon energy neared and engulfed him and Sesshoumaru. He didn't understand how the dog demon could withstand such an immense power. It made his short inky black hair stand on end and his scales quiver with anxiety, but the energy didn't seem to bother Sesshoumaru in the least. The first of the Council to arrive was a large scruffy looking black dog with distinct purple stripes around the edges of his massive jaws. He was quickly followed by a pair of green and blue dogs seeming to be competing to be the next into the clearing. The last thing Tarou saw was a red flame engulfing the big black dog before the energy became too much for him to withstand and he collapsed.

"Must you have been so blunt?" Sesshoumaru hissed, as he watched the form of his newest companion crumple. "You didn't have to suffocate him."

"He needed to learn his place." A man said, as he stood in the exact place the black dog had stood just a moment before. "It's good to see you again, Sesshoumaru."

"Katsu." Sesshoumaru responded, glowering at the black dog demon, with his deep set blue eyes and luscious black hair. The electric current that raced between the two demon lords was enough to start fires, as the remaining eight of the Council stepped into the clearing. "Katsu. Sesshoumaru. Settle down, we're not here to settle the dispute between the black and white dogs." A female with blue hair cut in, her arms crossed across her chest as she stared up at the darkening sky.

"We're here on much more important business." A male with green hair added, following the female's posture exactly.

"You two are so funny, you're so much alike!" A small female with purple hair giggled at the green and blue dogs.

"I am nothing like him – her!" The two green and blue dogs snapped in unison, receiving another giggle from the purple haired one.

"Souta is correct; we are here on official Council business. You will let us pass, Sesshoumaru." Katsu snapped, continuing to glare at Sesshoumaru.

"You came to see if the priestess residing here is actually the Northern heir." Sesshoumaru responded, glaring back.

"So, you figured it out, did you? How long have you known and kept this information to yourself, Sesshoumaru?" Katsu challenged, his blue eyes penetrating. "If she is, in fact, the Northern princess, it is our duty as the Council to unlock her demon characteristics, and allow her to take over as the head of Council."

"And if she does not want that life?" Sesshoumaru challenged.

"You protect her from her fate only to keep her innocence for yourself."

"You dare call me selfish?"

"I dare call you controlling and pathetic, pathetic as your father for falling in love with a mortal." The sound of flesh connecting with flesh rang loudly against the still night air. Everyone stared in amazement at the small female that had just slapped Katsu. "Damn it, Katsu! Would you let go of your pathetic hatred of the white dogs for just one night?" She snapped, before turning and dipping respectfully to Sesshoumaru, "Please, forgive him, he doesn't… Well maybe he does feel that way, but the rest of us don't and we beg you not to take personal offense."

"Tell me what it is you want. I will not permit you to near Kagome." Sesshoumaru snapped at the orange haired female, taking a defensive stand between the tree line and the horde of dog demons.

"Would you be so kind then, to see that she puts this," The female started, producing a bluish silver tiara and handing it to Sesshoumaru, "And report back to us if there is any change."

"What kind of change?" Sesshoumaru requested, carefully reaching for the tiara.

"Any change, you'll understand, and now it seems we have company." The female added, looking over the western lord's shoulder into the gloomy forest. Catching the scent, Sesshoumaru became rigid again, swiftly tucking the tiara into his sleeve before turning towards the priestess in question. He glowered aggressively at the two headed dragon, each head lowered possessively on either side of the of the woman's frail body.

_A/N: By far the longest chapter yet. I hope the momentary switch between characters did not confuse you too much. In the next chapter Sesshoumaru has to explain to Kagome what the dog demon Council is doing at the doorstep of the village and what it all has to do with her. Look forward to chapter six; "The Lost Princess"._


	6. The Lost Princess

It was the absolutely perfect way to end a day that was already very bad; seeing the very woman Sesshoumaru was attempting to keep the Council away from. He had a very vivid image of himself waving his hand in elegance, sweeping it in a wide arc beginning from Kagome, sweeping towards the Council and saying, "Kagome, meet the Council. They pretty much rule the entire demon society, oh and by the way, they think you're their lost princess." Oh _that_ would go over real nice… Biting back a reaction to the priestess's appearance, Sesshoumaru swept back around to face the Council, mainly to put himself between them and her. Upon turning, he was taken aback at the sight that met him. Nine bodies knelt, nine heads bowed, nine demons _submitting_ to a _human_.

She did not know she could never know that they were bowing not to Sesshoumaru, but to her. He had to distract her, distract her before one of the idiots before him made a comment he could not avoid. "Leave." He growled, threateningly as if trying to ward off a potential intruder upon his territory. This qualified, did it not? He was warding them off of her, and she was - technically speaking – his, wasn't she? She qualified as his property, he'd once sworn on his life to protect her, hadn't he? The growl that escaped his lips this time was not directed towards the nine dog demons knelt before him, but at himself.

If she truly was the lost princess, he'd already broken that promise, hadn't he? The promise he'd made to protect her with his life? How many times had he tried to take this woman's life? All because he had been hurt by merely looking at her, it wasn't fair that she was allowed to look so much like his bride when his betrothed had died when he was still just a small pup.

Realizing he'd closed his eyes, Sesshoumaru slowly blinked them open to find that the Council had indeed taken thought to his command. They were gone, good. Silently, he sauntered over to the still unconscious form of Tarou, he would wake disorientated. With a barely audible sigh, Sesshoumaru swiftly pulled the tiara from his sleeve, and tucked it into the chest plate of his armor, moving too fast for Kagome to see. With the tiara securely hidden, he bent and grabbed the dragon's arm, hauling him up with him when he stood. He draped the arm over his shoulders, making a mental note to make Tarou pay for lowering the western lord to this action.

At Kagome's gasp he whirled too fast; Tarou's legs swung around like a ragdoll's, but Sesshoumaru could not react fast enough, because as he turned again, she was _there_, less than a foot in front him, fingers pressed to her lips. Thankfully, her attention was focused on Tarou and Sesshoumaru was granted a second – a just long enough – to fix the mask back in place before Kagome's attention whirled on him. "Is he okay?" She demanded, her hands hovering. Of course she wasn't afraid, of course she was worried, she was too kind-hearted to simply turn her back on someone in need, even if that someone had tried – and was planning on try again – to kill her. He could not stop the pleased little smirk that pulled at the corner of his lips, not enough for her to notice… hopefully. "This is Tarou, he will be fine." He commented, "Let us be off." He added, beginning to walk away with the added weight.

"Now wait just a second!" Kagome demanded, refusing to move again. Glancing over his shoulder was a mistake, the weak defiance was amusing, but the real mistake was the fact that she truly looked like the princess, only older, and human. His amber eyes widened, only a fraction, his grip slackened on Tarou, and one word fell from his lips; "…Princess…"

Three days had passed since that one word ruined everything; Sesshoumaru had all but built a physical wall between him and the outside world. He found himself stuck, he wanted to leave – to run away, but he also could not leave, she _was_ his lost princess, he didn't need some mystical tiara to tell him any longer. And yet another part of him refused to accept that and wanted nothing more than to rip out her throat. How dare she prey upon his love?

A weight that was becoming annoyingly familiar thumped down on the grass next to him; she was back for another round. His amber eyes barely slid sideways any longer; after all, she was the only one daring enough to approach him in this state. Not even A-Un neared, yet here, the vulnerable human, the very human he was fighting not to kill at this very moment, was, crouched on her hands and knees, glaring at him. "Tell me, _now_, Sesshoumaru!" She demanded for the millionth time.

"There is nothing to tell, leave." Was all he responded with, a broken record, they'd had this conversation a thousand times over now.

"Like Hell there is! You called me "Princess", I'm lucky if you call me "Woman" on any given day! Now tell me, _why_!" It was a good argument, of that he would agree, but he could not reveal to her what was running rampant in his head just now. "Where is InuYasha, go bother him with your impudence." He responded, dismissively.

"No! And besides, that's none of your business. Now tell me why you called me "Princess" and what those demons were doing. I want to know, Sesshoumaru!"

"Maybe I do not want you to know." That left her gaping, it was a new answer, one she had not anticipated, but she'd finally broken him. He could no longer handle her griping. "Where is Tarou?" He demanded unexpectedly. Tarou had woken only a short few hours after they'd arrived in the village and had instantly set about seeking answers of his own. Doing exactly what Sesshoumaru had just suggested Kagome do – bother InuYasha with impudence. He'd been digging for every little detail he could acquire and Sesshoumaru could only be relieved his brother's attention span was so short that he had not yet made the compression between Tarou and the dragon demon he'd fought and killed almost three years ago. If either found out about the relationship between the other and the traitorous dragon, it might end in a bloodbath.

"Umm… Last I checked he was bothering InuYasha…"

"Retrieve him, he wished to be present." Sesshoumaru demanded, though once more Kagome surprised him by quickly retreating away, there was a flash of something on her face, but it was quickly concealed with outrage. "I'm not your servant. Fetch him yourself." She snipped, crossing her arms across her chest and turning her chin towards the clouds in defiance. Ah yes, how could he have forgotten, Kagome and InuYasha had, had some mysterious falling out that had left Kagome cowering in shadow whenever his brother was mentioned and running away whenever she was in his presence. "So be it." He responded, rolling to his feet and stalking away toward the village.

It didn't surprise Sesshoumaru that he found Tarou exactly where Kagome had said, bothering InuYasha, and InuYasha looked ready to snap. Thankfully, Tarou spotted him before he had to make too much of an entrance. "Ah, Lord Sesshoumaru, there you are! Have you come out of your reverie?"

"That does not matter." Sesshoumaru responded, getting a curious glance from his brother.

"No, I guess it doesn't. Is there something you wished, mi'lord?"

"You wished to be present." Was all Sesshoumaru replied with before he sauntered back the way he'd come, but before he could get more than a couple steps, InuYasha stalled him. "Present? Present for what exactly? What the Hell are you doing now, Sesshoumaru?"

"Proving something."

"Proving _what_ dammit? You've spent the last three days locked up in your thoughts in the middle of the meadow, and now, all of a sudden, you want to _prove_ something? Bullshit! What the Hell is going on?"

"He's going to see, once and for all, if the woman in question really is indeed the demon princess." Tarou responded, giddily. Like so many other demons, he was excited with this proposal; the idea of the princess not being dead was very popular.

"What? Demon princess? What the Hell are you talking about? Wait… Does this have something to do with why Kagome won't leave you alone?"

"It has everything to do with Kagome, and nothing to do with you, but you are free to come if you wish. It is past time you understand you have no place in her life." Sesshoumaru replied.

"W-What? Now what are you talking about? Dammit, Sesshoumaru!"

"Calm yourself, mi'lord, Lord Sesshoumaru is right, and my lord shall see with his own eyes. Though why Lord Sesshoumaru wishes to cause my lady so much agony by bringing you along, I am unsure." Tarou responded, staring after Sesshoumaru's retreating figure, before lowering his upper body towards InuYasha, holding his right hand over his heart, and holding the other out in the direction Sesshoumaru was headed. Dignified submission, that was what Sesshoumaru called it.

"Would you stop doing that? I'm nobody's lord!" InuYasha retorted, but curiosity had the better of him and he started after his elder brother. Tarou followed at a respectful distance.

As Sesshoumaru returned to the meadow with his trailing company, it did not surprise him to find A-Un had beaten them back nor the fact that Jaken and Rin was with them. Though a quick spurt of worry did course through him at seeing Kagome laying upon her back, arm thrown across her eyes, and raven black hair sprawled out in hectic waves around her head. Quickly suppressing the urge to run to her and make sure she was all right, Sesshoumaru merely cleared his throat loudly. Four heads snapped up from the cool meadow grass to meet his gaze, though one quickly swept past him and then dropped to the ground again.

"Okay, so now that you're back, are you going to tell me… Us what it is that's been bothering you?" Kagome inquired, as Rin jogged forward to meet Sesshoumaru and his companions as they neared. "Look, Lord Sesshoumaru!" She squealed with delight as she held up an intricately woven flower ring. Modeling the creation, Rin swiftly dropped the ring on top of her head, "it's a flower tiara!" She squealed excitedly.

"It is indeed." Sesshoumaru responded, plainly, knowing the child would lead him directly into the conversation he needed to share with those around him.

"Lady Kagome helped me make it, but she won't wear it." Rin whined.

"Indeed she should not; a woman of her status should wear a much more appropriate crown." Sesshoumaru conversed, getting startled glances from Kagome, InuYasha, and Jaken as he pulled the tiara given to him by the Council out of his armor and strode forward.

"Oh! It's pretty!" Rin exclaimed as - to be expected - Kagome pulled back and InuYasha lurched forward, hand flashing out to grab the hilt of his sword. Only the firm hand of Tarou upon his shoulder kept the half-breed from pulling out and lashing out with his weapon.

Quickly, Sesshomaru began explaining. "The nine demons you saw the night before last was a collection of demons known as the demon Council. They are made up of the heads of the 10 dog demon Clans-"

"Heads of the 10 dog demon Clans? What? What does that have to do with anything?" Kagome interrupted, she was sitting upright now, staring intently at Sesshoumaru whom could tell she was trying her hardest to pretend InuYasha wasn't there.

"Let me explain." Tarou volunteered, stepping forward from behind InuYasha and kneeling down next to Rin, giving her a friendly smile as he gently patted the child's head. "Technically speaking, the Council controls the actions of all demons, or at least the higher class demons."

"The ones that take human form, like you and Sesshoumaru, right?" InuYasha commented, as he crossed his red clad arms across his torso.

"And don't forget yourself in that equation. Whether you, the Council, or even Sesshoumaru wants to admit it, you are also a member of the higher class demons."

"I-I am?" The arms fell limply at his sides in disbelief.

"Yes, you are. You were a fool to believe you were not. Anyways, back to the Council."

"You were saying they controlled the actions of all demons." Kagome added helpfully.

"Yes, thank you, Lady Kagome. Though I can't really say they _control_ the other demons, they merely guide demon actions. They give demons suggestions to follow. For optimum control, the regions were divvied up into seven domains and four kingdoms. As you know, Lord Sesshoumaru is the current head of one of the four kingdoms. The Western Kingdom, to be specific, as the Inu no Taisho ruled over it before him. The Eastern Kingdom is currently ruled by Lord Katsu of the black dog Clan. The Southern Kingdom is currently divided into two kingdoms as the green dog Clan and blue dog Clan are on equal standing ground in status and neither is willing to relinquish said status. The Southern Kingdom is usually at war with itself, because of this as both Clans attempt to prove their worth to rule over the kingdom."

"And the other Clan." Sesshoumaru supplied, he'd moved to the outer edge of the meadow and was leaning casually against the thick trunk of a tree. His arms were crossed across his chest, but he was watching Kagome intently, watching how she reacted to everything Tarou said. "Continue, if you wish." He added, when Tarou meekly glanced at him for approval. With approval granted, the dragon demon quickly launched into explanation again. "The Northern kingdom however… Has been abandoned for more than a millennia."

"Okay cool, dog demons rules. I really don't care. What does this have to do with Kagome?" InuYasha demanded.

"I'm getting there, I'm getting there. My, my, you are impatient aren't you? The fact of the matter is the Northern kingdom was ruled by the silver dog Clan."

"Silver dog? I've never heard of such a thing." InuYasha commented, suddenly drawn back into the discussion.

"That's because the silver bloodline was destroyed, or so we thought, by Ryuukotsei." Sesshoumaru explained, still refusing to take his yellow eyes off of Kagome.

"Ryuukotsei?" InuYasha muttered.

"Yes, the traitor dragon. The dragon that tried to overpower and destroy the dog demons. He was, at least, intelligent enough to strike the head of the Council first." Sesshoumaru continued.

"It wasn't so much intelligence that led him to it and you know it, Lord Sesshoumaru. My father attacked the northern kingdom first because he thought the silver dog was the weakest Clan." Tarou pointed out.

"Wait! _Your father_?" InuYasha almost yelled.

Tarou opened his mouth to respond, but Kagome cut him off. "Don't you have to get back to Kikyo?" She suddenly hissed; her face turned to the trees.

"Well… I was guess I could go check on her… But I want to know what these two want with you." InuYasha stammered, clearly taken aback by Kagome's gruff tone. "And I wanted to make sure you were okay…" He almost whimpered nervously, acutely aware of their current company.

"Ha! Since when do you give a damn about me?" Kagome suddenly snapped, jolting up to her feet and glaring at InuYasha, though she next spoke to Tarou. "I'm sorry Tarou, I really have to get back to Kaede now." Before she hurried away.

"W-Was she… _crying_?" InuYasha pondered, blinking after the young priestess' retreating figure. "Why the Hell was she _crying_?"

"Have you ever thought to consider that it was _you_?" Tarou asked absently, following the half-demon's gaze, with a knowing expression.

"What the Hell does that mean, you damn dragon?"

"It means little brother, that your very presence now hurts her like a physical blow. That is why I let you come. To show you that you cannot no longer have _both_ priestess's. And since you have made your final decision and mated with the dead one-"

"Kikyo is not dead!" InuYasha snapped, though he did not comment upon the rest of his brother's statement.

"So long as you live, she shall have a sustained life." Sesshoumaru quoted. "Indeed she is not _completely_ dead, but should _you_ die little brother, so should she. And what of the unborn child then? Do you really think Kagome can handle nurturing your child? Your child with another woman?"

"I… I don't know… I didn't think…"

"No, you thought it wouldn't matter to Kagome, you also did not wish to think of a future for your quarter demon child. You thought that, no matter what, nothing bad would happen because Naraku is defeated. Did you have an easy childhood, InuYasha?" Sesshoumaru suddenly, viciously, countered as he fought to make his brother understand his choice. "You keep her close, you refuse to let her go, even though it causes her pain to even think your name, knowing that you chose a _dead woman_ over her." He added brutally; still refusing to let his brother defend himself. Sesshoumaru was not even sure why he was this passionate of the subject. No, it wasn't the subject he was so passionate for, it was Kagome, and her diminishing happiness. "Do you really wish to drive her to thoughts of killing herself, just so she can cut out the pain you constantly inflict?" This time, Sesshoumaru paused, waiting for a response. A-Un had lumbered to their legs and was hurrying across the meadow after Kagome, thankfully they'd taken Rin. Jaken merely stood a few paces away, gapping at his lord in astonishment. Tarou had only sighed, turned half towards the village after the two-headed dragon and its charges, his fingers were musing his inky black hair out of his face as he whispered a word of warning to Sesshoumaru for the lord to calm down. Sesshoumaru gave a low huff of annoyance, pushed away from the tree, and sauntered across the clearing after Kagome and the others.

"Hey! Wait just a second! Damn it Sesshoumaru! Get your ass back here!" InuYasha suddenly wailed, taking a step to follow his brother. Once more he was stopped by Tarou's firm hand on his shoulder. "Leave him be. I believe only being in her presence will calm the lord at this moment." Tarou explained.

"What? "Her presence"? What the Hell are you talking about now? Don't tell me he's going to start following Kagome around like a little lost puppy."

"In fact, I think that is exactly what the young lord intends to do, at least until she either forgives him or starts to remember."

"Remember? Forgive? What the Hell-?"

"Am I talking about? Yes, you've asked that a few times already. I can see how you would become an annoyance. Closed-minded as you are. You see, the reason Sesshoumaru is going to trail after the lady Kagome is because he is certain that she is the silver dog princess."

"That can't be right, you said the silver dog was a demon, Kagome is a human, _and_ you also said that the silver dog was killed off by your old man."

"Lord Sesshoumaru was the one to say that, and if you remember correctly, he also said that is what the Council and the other demons thought, since the bodies of either the princess nor the silver dog lord were found among the carnage of the northern palace. And as for Kagome being a human, it only takes a bit of rosary to lock away a half-demon's demonic nature." The dragon stated with a shrug as he too started after Sesshoumaru, leaving InuYasha and Jaken alone in the meadow.

_A/N: Phew… That was way too long… And I hope the length of this chapter explains the extraordinary lateness to my update. Sorry about that! Did I lose anyone throughout this chapter? I can't help but think I jumped around, just a bit, while writing this... In the near future, I will be writing a chapter about another of Sesshoumaru's memories as a child and was hoping my readers would like to get involved with ideas. Ideas can be sent to one of three places; via private message, via review, or through my email; heartlessstars ._


	7. Suitors

Tarou's step quickened as his lord's slowed, until he was close enough to speak without being disrespectful or yelling. "That was a bit blunt, don't you think? You might have slapped him; it probably wouldn't sting as much."

"Do you really think I care if I hurt his feelings? What I said was nothing but the truth." Sesshoumaru responded, submissively.

"That might be true, but it seems to be more like you were challenging him for a right. For _the_ right."

"What nonsense are you babbling now?" Sesshoumaru hissed, suddenly whirling to face the dragon demon, whom gave him a giddy grin in response.

"I suppose you wouldn't know what I'm talking about, would you? Seeing as how you had a mate chosen for you before the impulses began."

"What are you talking about?" Sesshoumaru demanded, glowering at the lean demon before him, but the grin just stayed in place.

"There is no need to be embarrassed, my lord, you know what I'm talking about, and I know you don't really want me to spell it out for you, here in public." Tarou chuckled, making a little whirling motion with his finger toward the clouds. "Though I am curious to know what you're going to do about the wolf trying to lay claim to her?" He commented, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

"Wolf, huh…?" Sesshoumaru sighed, turning back to catch a final glimpse as Kagome disappeared back into the priestess' hut with a closely trailing Rin. His yellow eyes then slowly rolled up towards the sky as he fell into distance memories.

* * *

Sesshoumaru scowled at the new arrivals from around the corner, growling quietly when the young girl behind him pulled on his sleeve. "Who is it? I want to see! What are they saying?" She demanded quietly, trying to peer around him, though his arm caged her against the wall.

"It's the heads of the wolf tribes, or at least the heads of the largest packs. What are they doing here? And why did they bring a cub?" Sesshoumaru muttered, when his father suddenly turned and met his gaze, and crooked a finger at him. "Uh… Father wants me." He muttered quietly, dropping his arm back to his side and started to tell her to stay, when his father's thunderous voice called from around the corner. "Bring the Princess, as well."

"I guess that means you too…" Sesshoumaru cut off whatever he was going to say, before adding, "Just stay close to me, okay?" He instructed, whirling around the corner when she nodded. "Yes, Father?" He inquired as all eyes turned to the entering children.

"This is your son?" The largest of the wolf demons asked, blinking in surprise, "He's quite…"

"…Slight. Small even for a dog, don't you think?" Another finished when the first trailed off, this one was the smallest of the four adult males, but clearly the cockiest.

"He'll grow." The Inu no Taisho promised, glowering at the wolf in detest, but the wolf had already surmised him off, turning to the Princess's father instead. "You sure you want to mate your daughter with that runt? Can he even defend her? My son-" He started but was cut off, as the silver dog lifted a hand to silence him. "I will not tolerate this kind of challenge in my domain." He hissed, "Besides, it is no conversation to be held in the presence of children." He commented, turning towards the princess and Sesshoumaru. His head cocked slightly to the side, and a soft smile pulled at his lips as he knelt down and spread his arms. Immediately the young girl darted around Sesshoumaru and into her father's awaiting arms. With his daughter secured, the demon straightened and glowered at the wolves before him. "I don't suppose that is the _only_ reason you came, now is it?" He commented, though concealed, there was a clear threat edging his tone. The silver demon gave his daughter a light squeeze before setting her down again and turning towards Sesshoumaru, "why don't you kids go play in the courtyard? Or out by the stables. I'm certain A-Un would appreciate the visit." He suggested, releasing his daughter.

As Sesshoumaru began to hustle the princess out of the area, they were stopped when the Inu no Taisho cleared his throat. "I do believe the Inu no Hasha said _kids_ not specifically _pups_. Take the wolf cub with you." He instructed. Sesshoumaru just stared at him in befuddlement, jaw slightly slackened as he stared at his father in disbelief. "Do as you're told, _Boy_." The Inu no Taisho growled, warningly.

"Yes, Sir." Sesshoumaru grumbled unwillingly, but the princess beat him, as she hurried over, grinned at the little black haired boy cowering behind the only female wolf. "Let's play together!" She giggled with a bright grin on her lips as she held out her hand for him to take. Behind her, Sesshoumaru let out a quiet growl of disapproval, but made no comment.

"Go on, now." The female encouraged, reaching behind her and pushing her child away before following the adult males as they moved into a side room, the room the Inu no Hasha used for holding meetings when he was in the North.

Sesshoumaru quickly attempted to pronounce dominance, as he pushed to the forefront of the little group. Though, just as quickly, he got lost trying to navigate the confusing twists of the northern palace. Before long he stood in front of another dead-end hall, glowering at the solid blockage. The princess merely giggled, grabbed his hand and pulled him back the way they'd come. "It's this way, my lord." She giggled. Like a servant girl, she had begun to address him as the higher rank, though it displeased the young master greatly, he had given up the notion of trying to correct her. Whenever he did, she would nod in excitement, and promptly address him as such again.

As the princess navigated, he could believe that, should she want to, she could probably get anywhere in the northern palace with her eyes shut. He made no comment as he stepped in line next to her, momentarily forgetting their wolven companion. Of course, she wasn't so blind and slipped around him again to stride alongside the young wolf. "I don't know your name." She commented and Sesshoumaru fought not to stop and put himself between the wolf and his betrothed. The longer it took them to get to the stalls, the longer he was stuck with this wolf cub.

"I'm Kouga." The cub announced, "and you're pretty." At that, Sesshoumaru could not suppress the open growl and spun around, pushing his future bride behind him. "Back off." He threatened, grabbing the princess's hand and spinning her around, muttering something like "damn wolf". The princess giggled lightly, as her arms wrapped possessively around his and she pressed against it. "You know I belong to you and you alone. Don't be so sour!" She giggled, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder briefly before she let go and ran off ahead. Somehow without his being aware, they'd left the palace and were outside.

* * *

That had been their last time together, as children, away from their father's prying eyes. As a child, Sesshoumaru never understood what the wolves were doing at the Inu no Hasha's threshold, but now that he was older, he understood all too clearly. The wolves had been trying to convince the silver dog lord to rethink his decision to marry the silver dog Clan's last chance of revival to the Inu no Taisho's only son. They were trying to arrange a marriage between the princess and the brown wolf pack's son, the nuisance wolf cub, Kouga. "He will be dealt with. For she is mine and mine alone." He declared, lowering his gaze back to Tarou. The dragon demon merely grinned and dipped his head in acknowledgement. "That is my lord." He commented, "And I will serve him in any way my lord sees fit."

"The wolf cub is my problem, and you will not interfere, though my mate requires a constant service. You will watch over her and keep her out of trouble." Sesshoumaru instructed, "Unless you think that too difficult a task?"

"Of course not, on my honor or my life, no harm will befall the Silver Princess." Tarou declared, slapping a fist over his heart and bowing his head.

"Cocky bastard." Another voice interjected, "and she's not your mate." InuYasha responded, striding up to his half-brother and the dragon demon.

"Ah, so my beloved younger brother finally catches up, what did you do with Jaken, I wonder?"

"Shut up, Jackass, and I will not stand idly by and let you declare Kagome to be your mate. Hell, you don't even _like_ humans. So, what's all this bullcrap about her being yours?"

"I thought this was all explained to him prior?" Sesshoumaru inquired, turning to Tarou again.

"I could have sworn I did." Tarou stated, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I suppose it is possible I was not clear enough in my former explanation, though." He added.

Sesshoumaru groaned in annoyance and he quickly launched into explanation for his younger brother. "The Kagome you know, little brother, does not technically exist, for her birth given name was Kiyoko, and she is the last of the silver dogs. Born to the Inu no Hasha, and my intended from an early age in childhood." Sesshoumaru commented, turning his full attention to InuYasha, when his pale brows suddenly rose and his jaw fell open, as his gaze swept past the half-demon before him. "Not. Possible." He hissed disbelievingly as InuYasha and Tarou turned to follow his gaze. There, half hidden in the shadows, a figure lurked as he stepped into the sinking light of the sunset. "A bit blunt, but a good introduction. I suppose it will do." The figure approved, nodding his head slightly. "Hello again, young Sesshoumaru."

_A/N: Extremely late, I had a very difficult time writing this and finally decided now would be a good time introduce the next large point in the tale. Can you guess who Tall, Dark, and Handsome is, I wonder? And for those of you curious "Inu no Hasha" much like "Inu no Taisho" is not a name, but rather a title, since no one knows the true name of the Inu no Taisho, so too, do they not know the given name of the Inu no Hasha. "Inu no Hasha" is also a title I came up with on my own, basing it completely off "Inu no Taisho" which means "commander of dogs" or something similar, "Inu no Hasha" means "supreme ruler of dogs" or something similar using the English to Japanese translator/dictionary "Eudrict". This should also help me get back on track for weekly updates again, so long as I still have internet, as of recently it has been going haywire and I have not really been able to get online. Some days I can get online most of the day, but other days I cannot get online at all._


	8. Tall, Mysterious, and Powerful

InuYasha scowled at the demon before them, "Is there some kind of scroll around here that's summoning you guys? 'Cause I swear, every time I turn around there are more of you demons arriving." He hissed, "This is a peaceful, human village, so why don't you get lost?" He added glaring at the newly arrived demon, gagging when he was suddenly face down in the dirt. "Gah! What the Hell?" He managed to grunt out after somehow managing to lift his head out of the dirt a few inches from the weight of two demons pinning him down.

"Shut up!" Tarou hissed from somewhere near his ear.

"Don't be so crude to your younger brother, Sesshoumaru. It's not his fault he was born after my reign ended. And Tarou, there is no need to be so set on redeeming yourself; I for one do not hold you accountable for Ryuukotsei's betrayal. And besides, he obviously failed in his attempt to rid the demon race of dogs, seeing as how they are still proliferating." The new arrival surmised, turning his gaze swiftly toward InuYasha and back to Sesshoumaru. "And this is how you honor my desires for my daughter's well being, it's a shame really, I expected more of you, Sesshoumaru." He shrugged, "Apparently I laid my trust in the wrong man. Oh well, I wasn't ready for her to marry anyways. Now, tell me where I might I find my child."

"My lord?" Tarou stated questioningly, glancing at the older demon in curiosity, as he and Sesshoumaru slowly backed off letting InuYasha rise again. The young dragon demon even going as far, as to lend him a helping hand.

"Okay, what the Hell is going on?" InuYasha demanded once he was back on his feet and staring at the gray-haired demon before them.

"Stubborn and block-headed, just as your father was. There is little doubt in my mind that you are not the Inu no Taisho's second offspring, am I wrong? Though, I am somewhat surprised you have not figured it out, young InuYasha. Unless, however, the tales of the Silver Clan have ceased?" The demon questioned, his aquatic blue eyes flickering momentarily between the brothers and came to rest upon Sesshoumaru once more.

"The tales of the Silver Clan will never cease to exist, at least not among the demons, but he was not raised in the Clans. Instead he grew among the humans."

"And let me guess, seeing as how immature you are, you shunned him instead of taking him under your wing and teaching him our ways." The demon chuckled darkly before turning back to InuYasha, "Do not be fooled by Sesshoumaru's childishness, _usually_ we dog demons take great pride in our young. Be they of pure or mixed bloodlines."

"And why don't I believe you?" InuYasha challenged.

"Likely because you have not met your kinfolk, aside from your elder brother, that is." He commented, "Has he been to even one Festivial?" He asked, turning his attention back to Sesshoumaru, "And my question was never answered; where is my daughter?"

"I'm confused, what the Hell is going on? What festival? What kinfolk? You'll find no demon child in this village." InuYasha snapped, "You know what, forget it. Stay or don't, just don't destroy anything. I have to get back to Kikyo." He grumbled, throwing his hands in the air in surrender, shaking his head, before finally turning and waltzing away into the thick of the village buildings.

"So tell me, who's Kikyo?" The demon asked, as soon as the half-demon wandered out of earshot.

"His pregnant wife, I do have a question if you don't mind my asking, my lord." Sesshoumaru responded, staring after his brother.

"You want to know what is I am doing here, or more precisely, why I'm not dead, am I right?" He chuckled, "It's a fairly interesting tale, and honestly, I'm surprised your father never filled you in with the details. Before he died that is. But a tale for another time perhaps, for now I wish to be reunited with my daughter. I'm sick of hiding in the shadows. Watching her growth from afar. It is not right for a father to have to stalk his own daughter. I will take that tiara off your hands though. The one that the council gave you." He added before turning to face Tarou, a quizzical expression on his face. "Why is there no reaction in this village at seeing any of us, let alone you? You look the most demon-like then the rest of us. With that diamond-hard, purple-gray skin, black gaze, and _scales_!"

"Demons are a fairly common appearance in this village. To them, if InuYasha doesn't attack first, demons are usually considered, well, not appreciated, but not chased from the village either. So long as we don't do something that would make them distrust us." Sesshoumaru explained, following the demons gaze to look at Tarou. "Though, I am also curious at the priestess's lack of reaction as well. Even if one is used to seeing demons, it has to be strange to see one as strange as you."

"Couldn't tell you. I was wondering as well, but maybe she has some unconscious memory as a princess?" Tarou tried to reason, with a little shrug.

"Hmm, maybe, but not likely. Now, I believe you were handing over that tiara and taking me to my child." The demon responded, turning back to Sesshoumaru, who stiffen, but managed to pull out the tiara the council had originally given him, holding it out for the demon lord to take. "Thank you." The demon responded, taking the tiara and examining it for a moment, before tucking it away.

"Did you commission it? The tiara, I mean? What's it supposed to do?" Tarou asked, striding up to Sesshoumaru's side and watching as the Inu no Hasha tucked away the circlet.

"Yes, I did commission it, and you'll figure out what it's for when the time comes. Come now, let us see my daughter." He chuckled again, leading to two younger demons deeper into the village, following the path InuYasha had formerly taken. Sesshoumaru and Tarou glanced at each other briefly, before lurching forward to keep up with the older and more experienced demon. "She's been staying with the priestesses, since my brother took up residence with his new wife." Sesshoumaru explained, steering the demon lord off InuYasha's trail towards the priestess's hut.

_A/N: fairly boring chapter, sorry, but at least you all got confirmation on who Tall, Dark, and Handsome is. In the next chapter, obviously, Kagome meets her father who proceeds to try and play matchmaker. Will he succeed in pushing his daughter closer to her intended, or succeed only in pulling them farther apart?_


	9. Reunion

By dawn a great and awkward tension had fallen around the little rice village, as Kagome huddled in a corner surrounded by demons she'd once considered to be very dangerous. Upon the rising dawn, InuYasha had returned, and now stood just inside the hut's doorway, arms crossed against his red clothed, a deep, disapproving scowl set firmly upon his features as he glowered at the surrounding full demons. "That's just not possible." Kagome finally stated in response to the Inu no Hasha's introduction, "There's simply no way you could be my father. Hell, human, remember?" She stated, waving her hands vaguely through the air, "How can you be my dad if I'm human, and you're so obviously, _not_?" She pondered, "And I still haven't figured out what _you're_ doing here." She stated, leaning sideways to leer at InuYasha, "Isn't Kikyo supposed to be giving birth soon? Maybe you should be with her. You're really not needed here, and obviously none of this involves you." She added with a little too much passion, before her brown eyes fell upon the demon claiming to be her father again. "I've seen a great many things in my time here, but um… I can't say I've seen a situation quite like this. There is simply no way I can bring myself to believe it's even a remote possibility." She babbled, before leveling a finger at Sesshoumaru, "And _you_! I have yet to figure out how you got involved in this. I mean, the last time any of us saw you, you were trying to kill _him_. And now, y-you're all… all… calm. Calm and… and… I don't know, it's like you're a completely different person. I thought you hated InuYasha, I thought you hated humans, I thought you hated _me_." She continued, though her rant fell short when the Inu no Hasha took a step forward and crossed between her and Sesshoumaru, facing the ill-feeling demon lord. "Hate _her_? You childish fool!" He snapped, and in a flash Sesshoumaru's head jerked sideways, just as Kagome's hand flashed up to cover her ears at the booming sound of flesh meeting flesh at incomparable speed. InuYasha instantly snapped to attention, drawing his sword in the next moment, in the same moment Tarou stepped back, seeming to be caught between rushing to Kagome and comforting her, or stopping the half-demon male from using his demon weapon in such close confines.

Just as quickly as the situation escalated, it died down again as the gray haired demon turned and knelt before the young priestess, whispering soothing words. "It's quite amazing to see how just a few centuries have changed everything so much." He muttered with a sigh, as he carefully reached out to pull Kagome's hands away from her ears. "You two used to be absolutely inseparable. But now it seems, you can hardly be in the same hundred kilometers of each other without succumbing to tease and violence." He commented, "It seems I have my work cut out for me if I am to make this union work." He chuckled lightly, pulling his daughter to her feet, spinning her off balance briefly before releasing her to crash into Sesshoumaru's chest.

"Union?!" Both InuYasha snapped as Kagome yelped the same word, quivering slightly against the demon lord's chest, not daring to meet his gaze, but rather attempted to peer back at the demon claiming to be her sire, though she nearly leapt out of skin when the firm, but steadying hand of InuYasha's elder brother fell upon her waist, keeping her upright for a moment before his hand fell and he took a step back, just as InuYasha started yowling to keep his hands to himself, and not to touch her.

Once more, the Inu no Hasha chuckled as he assumed Kagome's former place, to leer at the four before him instead of the one, "Yes, union. It was decided from the moment of her birth, that my daughter would marry the Inu no Taisho's eldest son. That ceremony has simply been delayed until now, and seeing as they are both of marrying age, I will not let neither of you back out of this arrangement. You will be bound in wedlock, though I would much prefer it to be done in willingness, rather than order." He added, this time his aquatic-colored eyes flashing between InuYasha and Sesshoumaru before coming to a rest upon Kagome, "But first, we have a ceremony to attend." He added with a soft smile, as he pulled out the circlet tiara before bracing it between his fingers.

_A/N: once again, another delayed chapter, and another short chapter. I promise you that within the next three or four days however, the tenth chapter will be up, and in this chapter we will learn what exactly happened when the northern palace fell to ruin._


	10. Forever Bound

"Wedlock?! Union?! Kagome and Sesshoumaru?" InuYasha's voice had taken on a childish whine of disbelief as he stared in absolute terror at the much older demon, before the hard and mocking edge returned and he sneered. "You've got to be kidding. It ain't never gonna happen." But the half-demon was completely ignored as he brother stepped forward again, brushing past Kagome to confront the Inu no Hasha as he toyed with the tiara. "Before we begin," he started, his amber gaze locked on the delicate circlet, "Do you think you could explain one thing…? How is it that you are still here, and that she's so obviously a human?"

With a careful sigh, the gray haired demon met the young demon lord's gaze before it swept past him to Kagome, and eventually to InuYasha and Tarou. "I suppose it will do no harm in explaining it from the beginning. Though I warn you, it is not as pleasant a tale as you might think, and I beg you not to hold a grudge for what I am about to tell you." He sighed, sliding down the wall to a sitting position, "Come closer and get comfortable." He commanded, crooking a finger for InuYasha to come closer while he used his free hand to signal for the other three to take a seat as well. The four began to circle around and Kagome sat neatly directly in front of the story-teller. To her left, the dragon demon followed suit, but before Sesshoumaru could claim a seat to her right, InuYasha darted forward, planting himself between his brother and his former love.

"I suppose I knew the truth would come out eventually, but I guess I was blindly hoping the past would not matter." The Inu no Hasha sighed before beginning, "As we left the western region on the eve of the waning crescent, the travel back to the north was… Uneventful at best. Upon our return, preparations for an attack had already been commenced. Rumors had been circulating that the northern lands would fall to siege soon. And having a half-demon child to protect, you can imagine I took such threats to the utmost."

"If preparations had been commenced… Uh… Sorry." Sesshoumaru interrupted, though he quickly fell silent when he realized this, cutting off his sentence.

"No, I wish to know what you were thinking. Please, continue." The blue-eyed demon encouraged, folding his arms across his chest and leaning forward a few inches.

"Uh… Well I was just thinking, if you had already begun preparing for an attack, how is it that the northern palace crumbled…? Were you expecting a smaller contingent?" The white haired demon lord muttered quickly.

"Quite the opposite in fact, we were well prepared for a much stronger attack than your father brought," The Inu no Hasha chuckled lightly, nodding toward Tarou briefly, "The northern palace fell simply because I let it fall to ruin." He stated as if it were the simplest thing one could imagine, before continuing, "Shortly after her birth and the declaration had been made that the northern princess would marry the western prince, we – The Inu no Taisho and myself – came to realize that you would outlive her, by countless centuries. And that she would reach physical maturity much sooner than you, even though you were the elder born, and so something had to be done and Ryuukotsei offered the perfect opportunity. "

"So… What happened?" The Inu no Hasha merely smiled in content when InuYasha questioned him, his blue gaze flicking sideways toward Tarou who was nodding in the half-demon's benefit, obviously also wanting to know. Instead of responding directly, the Inu no Hasha carefully set the tiara circlet on his knee before he reached up to scratch at his chin as he peered directly at Kagome. "Tell me, first. What is the name of this body you are inhabiting?" He inquired.

"Huh?" Kagome responded, completely taken aback. "You mean my name?"

"No. This body's name is what I require, I know your name, your name is Kiyoko, princess of the Northern Region, intended to marry Sesshoumaru." He commented, waving a hand dismissively toward Sesshoumaru.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Kagome wailed suddenly, jerking to her feet, "Forget this! I've spent the last four years being compared to Kikyo, and now you're trying to start comparing me to some _demon_?! A demon that was in _love_ with _him_?! Not here, no sir." She snapped, jamming a finger in Sesshoumaru's direction, before spinning around and stalking out of the little hut. Though at the door she stopped and hissed over her shoulder, "My name is Kagome, K.A.G.O.M.E. Not Kikyo! Not Kiyoko or who ever the Hell it is you're looking for. I'm Kagome, no one else!" Before she snapped the straw curtain out of the way and sauntered out, simmering in outrage.

"Hmm, she has quite the temper doesn't she?" The Inu no Hasha commented merely watching as Kagome stormed out, "But I did get this host's name; Kagome. A fitting name indeed. And she is quite right, Kiyoko is dead, though her soul is bound never to be fully reincarnated." He observed, getting some confused stares from the three demons still in his presence. "Oh right, how could I have forgotten. The pregnant woman I saw you with earlier, the one who so resembles Kagome, would I be correct in assuming that is Kikyo?" He asked, turning toward InuYasha, who meekly nodded, not sure where the demon lord was going.

"And the young child she agreed to watch while we held this little meeting?" The Inu no Hasha continued, this time turning toward Sesshoumaru for confirmation. But the young lord was staring intently at the still swaying straw curtain Kagome had stormed past.

"That would be Rin." InuYasha offered, as his brother was so clearly not paying attention, once again, the blue eyed demon nodded in understanding.

"So it seems in this village alone there are two former hosts, and the current host. Would I be correct, again, in assuming both the child – Rin – and the woman – Kikyo – have formerly lost their lives?"

"What does this have to do the disappearance of the princess?" Tarou suddenly asked, cutting off InuYasha's cry of confusion.

"On the contrary, Tarou, this has everything to do with the princess. And it seems the sons of the Inu no Taisho have committed heinous crimes indeed. Bringing back the dead, how shameful indeed." The demon sighed, thus drawing the attention of both sons of the Inu no Taisho.

"What the Hell are you talking about?" InuYasha demanded, starting to get to his feet, when Sesshoumaru's hand flashed out, grabbing his younger brother by the shoulder, "Be silent." He ordered, though his cool amber eyes were locked on the Inu no Hasha. "I believe I understand. What you are saying, is that, she – Kagome – is indeed Kikyo's reincarnation-" Sesshoumaru started though he was cut off by a shake of the Inu no Hasha's head. "No. No you do not understand. What I am saying is that _Rin_ is Kikyo's reincarnation, and this Kagome is _Rin's_ reincarnation. And all three of them housed the soul of your intended. Only chance has it that your brother has claimed a mate from a former host. Or that you care for the other like your child. Did you not see the resemblance? Or were you simply too distraught by the thought of raising the reincarnation of your beloved?" The Inu no Hasha hissed, as his blue eyes slowly began to narrow into a glare at Sesshoumaru.

"Now that you mention it…" InuYasha trailed off as his thoughts began to wander, comparing Rin to Kagome and Kikyo as his mind tried to age her appearance, before he closed his eyes and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the similarities are definitely there." He affirmed, turning to Tarou for confirmation, who also nodded in agreement. "I thought as much, but I did not think it my place to point it out." He commented, turning to Sesshoumaru, who appeared to be desperately trying to hide the fact that he had not seen the similarities for himself. It was indeed an embarrassment, seeing as how Sesshoumaru had been the only one to see the princess as a child, other than the Inu no Hasha.

"I have been following the reincarnations of my daughter for many years now, though it is always difficult when one dies. Finding the next reincarnation is never an easy task." The Inu no Hasha grumbled, "And the two of you only made it more difficult, reviving two of the hosts. Though I suppose the rebirth of Kikyo was not your doing, was it, young InuYasha? Ah, but you are still wondering what happened and why I would let my lands fall to ruin. You see, when we finally opened our eyes long enough to realize you would strongly outlive your betrothed, Sesshoumaru, your father and I agreed something had to be done about it, but what? What could we do to slow her growth? Without stopping it altogether." He commented, as if he really expected an answer from the demons listening intently, "While we were brainstorming - and the two of you were playing - a servant who was serving our tea interjected with an idea of her own. That we perform a ritual which would bind her soul. Of course your father was strongly against using the forbidden arts." He sighed, as if he regretted the very thought of it.

"Forbidden arts?" Sesshoumaru suddenly cut in, almost bouncing to his feet in the process. "Those arts were forbidden because of their brutality. Tell me, oh tell me, you did not even fathom the idea!" He demanded.

"As I stated before, your father was strongly against the notion, but time would soon not be on our side. Something had to be done." The Inu no Hasha sighed, finally lowering his gaze away from Sesshoumaru, almost guiltily. "But!" He started before Sesshoumaru could start rampaging, "we found a way to conform the ritual. To bind the princess's soul, not to her current body, but to you."

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to start screaming in outrage, but the cry fell dead in his throat, "W-What?"

"What the Hell are you talking about?!" InuYasha demanded, completely confused, when Tarou tapped him on the shoulder. "They're talking about the forbidden arts, there are eight that I am aware of, and the one I'm guessing they're talking about – the Fourth Forbidden Art – could bind a soul to its body, to prevent the body from dying, to prevent reincarnation, to create immortality in simplest terms. Though if the bound soul and body took blows that would normally separate a soul from a body, in other words, a killing blow, it would result in the body becoming one of the walking dead. Forever feeling the burn and searing agony of wounds that would never heal." He explained, to the half-demon whose eyes only widened in disbelief as the information sunk in.

"In order to do this, however," The Inu no Hasha continued, as he slowly lifted his gaze back to Sesshoumaru, "her demon blood had to be sealed away, thus rendering mortal – human." He commented.

"Okay, but what happened? How did you bind the princess's soul to the young lord's?" Tarou inquired, turning his attention back to the silver demon.

"How did we use a forbidden art that was supposed to create immortality to slow the aging process of the princess, you mean? I suppose in a way we didn't." The story-teller stated, "All we did was keep her body at the same age as Sesshoumaru. Each time her reborn body surpassed the physical appearance of her intended, she would fall to death and be reborn again, and this cycle will continue so long as you ignore your duty to claim her as your mate." He commented, glowering again at Sesshoumaru.

"You keep saying "reborn", what does that mean?" InuYasha inquired, trying to look past the idea of the man before him condemning his only child to such a terrible fate by using the Fourth Forbidden Art.

"Instead of being reincarnating, where the soul is born into a new body, she would be completely reborn, body and soul always the same, the only difference in being how the new body was raised." The Inu no Hasha explained, or attempted to explain. "After the initial ritual of sealing all of her demon blood away, we had to incite the cycle." He added.

"Incite? You mean…" Tarou started, but quickly clamped his lips shut as his gaze swept past toward InuYasha and Sesshoumaru.

"We had to begin the constant cycle until the day Sesshoumaru would officially lay claim to one of the reborn bodies of his intended. I am ashamed to say it, but yes, in order to extend her life, I had to take my own daughter's life." The blue eyed demon sighed heavily, as his eyes lowered again from Sesshoumaru, to glare at his hands, as if they had acted on their own accord to slaughter his daughter so many years ago. Though he spoke the words quickly, likely in hopes the men before him were not paying close enough attention to catch his words.

"While the dragons laid waste to the Northern Region, the reason your bodies were never found. You weren't in the northern region." Tarou suddenly realized with a gasp.

"While the dragons destroyed the Northern Fortress, my men had already been excused aside from a few loyal subjects that gladly laid down their life to keep the dragons distracted; long enough for me and the princess to escape, where the ceremony was completed and the cycle began. It took ten years for the first rebirth, or it took me ten years to find the first reborn body. And you, Sesshoumaru, have been in the presence of three, _three_, of these bodies, but you were arrogant enough not to even notice?!" The Northern lord hissed in outrage, snatching the tiara off his knee and jerking to his feet. "Arrogant as your father, I suppose." He sighed, "Well, there you have it."

_A/N: I officially suck at story-telling. The Inu no Hasha was all over the place with his story… For those who are curious about his statement of Kagome having a fitting name, it is because in the InuYasha series, Kagome's name was meant to mean "bird in a cage", compare that with the overall idea of the Inu no Hasha's tale, and you should understand. The basic idea of the binding of Kagome's soul is that if Sesshoumaru does not act quick in claiming her as his mate, in two or three more years, when she appears to be about the same physical age as Sesshoumaru himself, she'll die from some reason or another. If that makes any sense. Because I feel Rin, Jaken, and Kikyo are not getting enough love, the eleventh chapter is just going to be a boring, filler chapter in Kagome's point of view. Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara will be prominent characters in later chapters. Also, very soon, the birth of Kikyo and InuYasha's child will dominate a future chapter, just as Kagome's demonic blood will be unsealed, bringing forth her half-demon form._


	11. Differences

I couldn't believe him! What right did he have to just appear in my life, with _Sesshoumaru_ of all people, declare himself my _father_, and then proceed to say I would _marry_ Sesshoumaru?! On top of which, he was looking for some girl by the name of Kiyoko, that's what he called her, I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't need InuYasha's protection, nor did I want it anymore, he had a wife and a child to be born any day now. "It's just a sick joke." I tried to convince myself, Sesshoumaru was a bastard. No woman in her right mind would marry him, it would be a good guess that an insane woman wouldn't marry him. "He's an unfeeling, cold-hearted, selfish son of-"

"Who is?" I just about jumped out of my skin when a new voice cut through my rage, and bit my lip so not to scream in fright. When I regained my composure I turned slowly, forcing a smile back on my lips when I saw Kikyo and Rin. "Eh… Nobody?" I muttered, not wanting to say "Sesshoumaru" for Rin's sake, even if she was still naïve enough not to know what my words meant, but then I couldn't "InuYasha" either.

"I understand." The former priestess reassured me with a little bob of her head. "I trust Sesshoumaru and his friend's aren't making too much trouble if you'd willingly leave them alone with InuYasha." She chuckled. "Well, if you're suddenly free…?" She began, lowering her gaze to meet Rin's.

"Huh? Oh yeah! We can have a girl's day." I giggled, at least Kikyo was trying to help, it was more than I could say for InuYasha at the moment. "So… How's the baby?" I questioned, searching for a safe topic, and Kikyo and InuYasha's unborn child seemed the best bet right about now.

"Oh the baby's fine, why does everyone keep acting like it's a big deal? It's not like I'm the first woman to give birth." Kikyo assured, almost jokingly.

"Well, it's just that everyone knows it's about time for the baby to be born, and we don't want you to over-exert yourself, that's all. I bet InuYasha's getting excited to meet his baby." I chuckled, though the sound came out a bit rough, as if it were forced, as I knelt and ruffled Rin's dark locks. "Hopefully the baby will come before Sesshoumaru decides to take you away this time, so you can at least meet your cousin."

"I don't think Lord Sesshoumaru has intentions to leave any time soon." The young girl responded, turning to look back at the hut I had stormed out of before. "He was pretty focused on coming here for some reason. Though I don't know what. And Lord Jaken doesn't seem to know why either." She added with a shrug. "Hey, Kagome, while we're here, do you think you could teach me about some herbs? I'm really quite interested in learning." The child inquired, turning back to look at my innocently. It still took me by surprise that she'd grown so much since the time I first met her during my first year venturing into the feudal era. A lot of things had changed since my first endeavor with InuYasha, so it was only natural that Rin also grow, right? "I suppose I could, but I think Kikyo wanted to spend some time with you…"

"And yourself, Kagome." Kikyo added, as she took a step closer, "I may not be a priestess any longer, but I still retain the knowledge of my time as one. It seems a splendid way to spend the day while we wait for InuYasha." The pregnant woman suggested, as her hand fell to her swollen belly. Out of her priestess clothing, Kikyo didn't seem to be herself anymore, but a completely different person instead. She'd even taken to leaving her hair untied, whereas I'd taken to putting mine in a ponytail. Kind of like Kouga, thinking of the wolf who had once openly claimed I would become his wife, I felt a rush of white-hot anger again towards Sesshoumaru and the gray-haired demon he'd brought here, before I wondered at what he was up to these days. After he'd willingly given up his shards to complete the jewel, he'd just walked out of our lives and we hadn't heard anything out of the wolves since then. Which led me to believe he'd finally settled down, maybe he even married Ayame. For all I knew, she could be as pregnant as Kikyo right now. And for some reason, that thought… It just left me feeling left out. The last we'd heard from Sango and Miroku, Sango was about to give birth, by now their baby had to be a couple of months old. "I wonder how Shippo's doing…" I muttered absently, remembering that the little fox child had decided to go back with Sango and Miroku to begin rebuilding the demon slayer village.

"I'm sure he's fine. Maybe you should ask InuYasha to take you visit them. It might get his mind off the baby for a little while and I'm sure he'd enjoy visiting Miroku again." Kikyo suggested, laying her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"I don't think that's right. I mean, what if the baby came while he was away. That's not right. He should be there when the baby's born." I shook my head in refusal, taking Rin's hand and starting toward the meadow. In the distance I could already make out the bulk of A-Un lounging the early light, as well as the bouncing shadow of Jaken, likely trying to keep busy since Sesshoumaru had forbade he be a part of their little meeting earlier.

"Well I didn't say you had to leave right now. You could wait until the baby's born." Kikyo surmised with a shrug, falling in on Rin's other side, taking her other hand.

"Well, that's still not right. InuYasha should be here for you and the baby." I added, causing Kikyo just to laugh. "Well, maybe I'll just tell him to take you or else I'll never forgive him."

"That's just mean." I stated, pulling to a stop, Kikyo merely sighed, "Then stop worrying about it. It's like you're afraid to be alone with him anymore. You're always trying to find excuses to get away from him these days. But if I remember correctly, just a year ago you couldn't stay away from him. Don't tell me it's because of me. Well, me and InuYasha. Together."

"No. That has nothing to do with it." I lied, and it was obvious that neither Kikyo nor Rin believed me when I said it, so I grabbed Rin's hand again and started walking. "You're so quiet today, Rin." I commented, in hopes of changing the subject entirely.

"There's not much to say." She responded.

"The result of living with Sesshoumaru for too long." I sighed, remembering the giddy child I'd met only a couple of years ago, as the three of us finally crossed the meadow into the verge of the forest.


End file.
